One problem I have with this viewpoint @diggndeeper.com is that fact that it completely overlooks the ones in control. Many like to focus upon the government as a means of coercion, which it is. Yet the government is a puppet, in the hands of the rulers. And, as you alluded to, it isnt controlled by the people.

I do not think this topic complete without looking at the corporate power (ie the banks). You can point to taxes and the populous says "more roads". If they built more roads that would be fine. But, instead, they give corporate handouts which help the elite and the few.

Here is another area that is completely overlooked when making the points in this discussion. In fact I might need to do a post on it. The government pays, through the DOD and DOE, hundred of billions of dollars in foundational research. This is research that has no commercial value. In fact, it is known to have no use when the grant is written. Each bit of research builds upon what went before to determine whether it moves things forward or arrives at a dead end. Being done with public monies means the research is published for all to see. This is akin to your open source. Someone can take those results a week later, or 5 years, and try to build upon it.

Now take the corporate aspect. To start, it would not be public if it was even done. Corporate america is not going to spend hundreds of billions on research it knows isnt going anywhere. Also it benefits greatly because it takes the research that was done, ads one things, and patents it claiming it "invented" it. This is my problem with the entire patent process.

I wonder if people really think how much foundational research went into computers, the internet, satellite broadcasts, mobile communications, and the entire medical field.

Just some food for thought.